Winnie Byanyima has appealed to the government to allow her husband, veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye, to access proper medical care, saying his health is rapidly deteriorating while in detention.
Speaking to journalists at their home in Kasangati, Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, said it was inhumane for the state to keep her husband in custody despite his worsening medical condition.
“I have called you, our friends in the media, to tell you about the alarming state of my husband’s health. He remains in custody on the orders of one man and his son, yet he urgently needs medical attention,” Byanyima said.
Besigye was arrested in November 2024 in Nairobi and charged with treason and related offences by the state.
The state accuses him and his co-accused, Obeid Lutale, of conspiring to overthrow the government. Besigye has denied the charges, which his lawyers describe as politically motivated. Court has repeatedly denied him bail.
Byanyima said prison authorities at Luzira initially blocked Besigye from accessing treatment from his personal physician. She said this worsened his condition.
After several failed attempts to negotiate for medical access, Besigye later taken to a private hospital in Bugolobi. Byanyima said this was the second time the doctor had been permitted to see him.
She said the transfer to hospital happened without her knowledge.
“I only learnt that he had been taken to Bugolobi through contacts at the hospital,” she said.
Byanyima said she rushed to the facility and found Besigye on a drip after suffering severe dehydration. He also complained of stomach pain, high fever and general weakness.
“He could not walk on his own. He had to be supported by prison warders. This is a man who should be under specialised medical care, not in a prison cell,” she said.
Byanyima said she was particularly disturbed by what she described as heavy military surveillance, even during her husband’s medical visit. She said intelligence operatives followed Besigye back to prison after the examination.
She appealed directly to President Museveni and his son, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to show compassion.
“I am asking them to be human. Whatever differences they have with Besigye should not be settled by denying him medical care. This is about his life,” she said.
The government has insisted that Besigye and Lutale must stand trial, saying the charges against them are serious and touch on national security.
Byanyima said the continued detention of her husband was driven by fear rather than justice. She maintained that Besigye remains one of the most formidable critics of President Museveni’s long rule.
“This is not about the law. It is about silencing a voice they fear. But even then, he deserves medical care and dignity,” she said.
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